RICHARD A. HIPPLER

HIPPLER Col. RICHARD ALLEN HIPPLER USA (Ret.) (Age 86) Of Fredericksburg, Va. formerly of Dumfries, VA and Great Falls, VA died on Monday, November 26, 2012 at home. He was born on July 22, 1926 in Detroit, Michigan, the son of the late Roy Hippler and Charlotte Loepp Hippler. Col. Hippler will be remembered by family, friends and peers as a man of courage and integrity whose commitment to his country was unsurpassed. He was a 30 year veteran of the US Army, occupying every enlisted and officer grade from private through full colonel. He commanded at squad, platoon, company, battalion and brigade levels. He served in Europe and the Far East for eleven years; directed a US government multi agency advisory team; served as a faculty member, course director and instructor for two senior level military colleges and coordinated plans and programs with US Embassies and foreign Heads of State throughout the world. Among his decorations are the WW II Victory Medal, Korean War Service Medal, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry (three Gold, one Silver, one Bronze), Vietnamese Honor Medal, Vietnamese Social Welfare Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, and Presidential Unit Citation. His specialty ratings included Combat Infantry, Master Parachutist, Gliderist and Pathfinder. In the civilian sector, Col. Hippler provided technical services to the Department of Defense and various federal agencies as a project engineer, senior program manager and vice president of operations. His educational background includes a BA in Psychology from Park College and an MS in Personnel Administration and Management from George Washington University. Col. Hippler also graduated from the following military schools: The Infantry School, US Army Command and General Staff College, The Armed Forces Staff College, The Industrial College of the Armed Forces, The National War College, and The Foreign Services Institute (State Department). Col. Hippler was a devoted husband to Dorothy, his wife of sixty five years, who survives him at home. A proud and loving father, he is also survived by four children, seven grandchildren, and three great grandchildren: Lorrie Villani, husband Vince and their daughter Olivia of Fredericksburg; Kenneth Hippler and wife Earlene of Ocala, FL; Debbie Dean of Fredericksburg, and her children Brian Dean of Woodbridge, VA and Lesley Dean of Gainesville, VA; Barbara Van Osten and husband George of Winchester, VA, and their children Karl Van Osten, wife Lizzette and their daughter, Karla of Tupelo, MS; Elyssa Dunfee, her husband Gene and their children Georgia and Lyle of Charlottsville, VA; Leanna Forster and husband Matthew of Winchester; and Erik Van Osten of Newport News, VA. Two sons, Lt. David Hippler and Curtis Hippler preceded him in death. He is also preceded in death by his siblings, Dorothy Martin, Carol Hayes, and Charles Hippler. Col. Hippler will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors at a future date. Memorial contributions may be made in his memory to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 75817, Topeka, Kansas 66675 or online at www.woundedwarrior project.org. Online guest book is at covenantfuneralservice.comcovenantfuneralservice.com